'Expert' UK footy tips

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Cape Town - Each round of the 2011/12 English Premiership season, a panel of Sport24 staff or guest tipsters have a crack at predicting the results - do it yourself, if you like, and see how you compare afterwards.

Our forecasts also offer assistance (if that is the right word!) to those who take part in the SuperBru megapool (Pool code: cropriot) created by Sport24.

Compiled by Rob Houwing (the champion for the last two seasons but a Newcastle supporter for his sins), the others are Garrin Lambley (very Everton-partial), David Brooke (Manchester United) and Dominic Valentine (Liverpool).THE PRIME ATTRACTION

LIVERPOOL v MANCHESTER CITY Sunday, 18:00

Any fresh talk of their heyday being revisited remains a little optimistic, but ‘Pool are at least back in top six territory again and tackle the clear-cut log-leaders on the back of a fine 2-1 result at Chelsea last weekend. That gives the Sunday evening game a pleasing edge to it, and three of us see reason for it to end in a hard-fought draw. Dave even backs a bout of Anfield ecstasy. Mind you, he may have taken note in his forecast of last season’s outcome in the corresponding match: the home team thumped City 3-0, via two maiden goals for Liverpool by Andy Carroll (not exactly prolific since, mind you) and another for Dirk Kuyt. Some comfort for Blues fans is that City won the 2010/11 home encounter by precisely the same scoreline!

Not the most natural enemies geographically, there’s still some electricity nevertheless whenever these well-supported foes meet: it all goes back to those lively times in the mid-1990s when Toon were genuine “contenders” but that old fox Fergie used to somehow cause counterpart Kevin Keegan and his charges to unravel mentally at season’s end and deny the black-and-whites any silverware. Even so, Newcastle did get the odd satisfying win over the Red Devils in that era, including one notably big ‘un which went out gleefully as a video – maybe even DVD by then -- in the north-east entitled “Howay Five-O”! This season sees both riding high (second and fourth) at present, but with Alan Pardew’s team making a second perilous trip in a week to Manchester. I want to believe the visitors can get something out of it, but the realist in me says “narrow win for the champions” ... and I see I am not alone.

Even my visiting, Sunderland-supporting father-in-law (the things I put up with in this life ...) just about sees my logic in installing the Black Cats in this slot. They are under-achieving this season to the extent that Steve Bruce’s managerial berth is considered in some jeopardy, and come off a rather tepid goalless draw with fellow-battlers Fulham at the Stadium of Light. No argument about the pauper credentials of visitors Wigan: they’re glued to the bottom and also can’t take any heart from last season’s result at Sunderland where they leaked four. So common sense tends to suggest a welcome home win.

Sadly we have lost the services of Tank Lanning, who has moved on to fresh pastures; Footy Tips wishes him the very best in his new role. Under our traditional, in-house scoring system for the Sport24 folk featured here, Dominic seizes the lead following Tank’s departure – he and the still embattled yours truly were pick of the crop in a tight range of trading last weekend.

*In the broad, Sport24.co.za pool on SuperBru, which presently sports 1,296 players, “Geoff” retains the lead having moved to 116.30 points, still followed by “Serb” who is now on 111.55. The yellow cap for best performance in the last round belongs to “JordyG”.

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